Nightshade
by Luna-Nocturne
Summary: Luna Nightshade has spent her life as a lone wolf, then the bakugan appear and as soon as Naga is defeated they leave. Sure Luna finds her bakugan after, but what happens when things get much more complicated that they needed to be?
1. Don't say goodbye

Nightshade

Luna Nightshade, a lone wolf of a Darkus brawler, exited her final class for the day. She put her things away in her locker, put her homework in her backpack and left the building, as she was about to begin her trek across the city of Wardington, she paused when she heard a certain boastful Subterra brawler in the yard of the school call her name.

The hulk of a boy walked over to Luna, a disdainful grin on his face. "I saw you were climbing the ranks, care to see if you're as good as you say you are?"

Luna nodded, "I'll mop the floor with you, Shuji."

The boy laughed. "You can try!" Shuji took out a card, Luna following suit.

"Field, open!" Time seemed to freeze in place as they were transported to a sort of pocket dimension that was to be their battlefield. Luna acted first.

"Gate card set!" She threw down a gate card. "Bakugan brawl," The Darkus player threw her choice bakugan for the first round. "Bakugan stand!" The Serpenoid reverted from its spherical ball form to its true form; a gigantic black and purple, red eyed, Darkus serpent bakugan who released a hiss as it uncoiled itself, ready for a brawl. Luna's Bakupod registered it's G-Power at 350.

Shuji looked upon the bakugan with a smug look. "That's the best you got? Kinda sad. Bakugan brawl!" He threw a brown ball onto the gate card. "Bakugan stand!" The ball unfolded itself and glowed, expanding and taking on the form of a Subterra Mantris at 270 G-Power. "Ability activate! Slice Cutter!" The Subterra bakugan's bladed arms glowed and moved into an x shape, releasing a laser at Luna's serpenoid.

"Not so fast there, pal! Ability card activate! Night Veil!" Her Serpenoid was covered in a purple aura and rose 100G, the attack from Mantris was absorbed and the aura disappeared as Shuji's eyes widened in surprise.

"How'd you block that?! That should've wiped your bakugan right off the field!"

Luna grinned. "I have my ways. Gate card open!" Her Serpenoid rose 50 points and coiled around Mantris, squeezing until the Subterra bakugan returned to ball form and landed at Shuji's feet whilst it landed in Luna's hand. Shuji growled and tossed down a gate card, round two had begun as he rolled down a 300G Terrorclaw. Luna rolled down Nocturne, a Darkus Skyress and one of her two guardian bakugan.

The Skyress, in a flurry of feathers and gigantic wings, took to the air at 450G. Shuji wasted no time in opening his gate card, boosting Terrorclaw by a 150G and the battlefield turning into a desert complete with pyramids in the distance.

"Aw how cute, the little boy is trying to show off!" Luna chuckled, noting that Terrorclaw and Nocturne's power were the same level. "Time to raise the bar, Nocturne! Ability card activate! Purple Nobility; Deathly Shadows!" The Skyress' power doubled to 900G and she dove in for the final blow, whipping the Subterra bakugan right off the field with a whip from her razor sharp tail feathers.

Luna set the final gate card, if she won this round then the brawl would be over but if Shuji won this round the game would continue. The Darkus brawler tossed in her Wavern Nightmare, her second guardian bakugan. The wyvern stood and gave a shriek as she spread her wings, taking to the air. Shuji tossed down his Subterra Saurus, which stood at 320 G-Power, vastly underpowered compared to Nightmare's G-Power of 580.

"Why so quiet, boastful? You ain't squawking as loud as before. In fact, I don't hear anything beyond a few frustrated growls! How's it feel to have the floor mopped with ya?" Luna remarked snidely, if the boy thought he would escape his boasting unscathed he was horribly, horribly wrong.

He glared at her. "Ability card activate, Saurus Glow!" His bakugan let off an orange aura and charged, power rising as Luna sighed and thought "When will they learn?".

Luna waited until the Subterra bakugan was close to Nightmare, "Ability activate! Wall Lock!" Saurus lost his glowing aura and his power dropped back to it's base level as Shuji's jaw dropped. "Wall Lock nullifies your ability card!".

Nightmare headbutted the Saurus, sending it stumbling back and whipping it with her tail, defeating it and ending the match. Time started again when the battle dimension disappeared and they found themselves at the school, the only difference being Shuji's bakugan being at his feet, defeated.

Luna left, not needing to see all the looks of what used to be Shuji's little groupies. She was never gracious to the boastful, bratty, snotty or sheeplike people because those were the kinds of people she despised.

"How the mighty have fallen." She muttered under her breath, a grin worked its way up her face. "Not that he was ever mighty." She chuckled amusedly, walking home after Nightmare and Nocturne decided to hop up on her shoulder.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Home

Once Luna arrived home, greeted her parents, did her homework and signed on the computer she received an odd request. It was Daniel Kuso- she had to stifle laughter at the unsuspecting boy's last name, seeing as he must not have realized what it meant in english- that was besides the point, he had requested a video chat. She knew this boy was a decent brawler but a very big irritation once he either started bragging or arguing.

With nothing she figured she could loose, she accepted the video chat and his face as well as room appeared on screen in a box showing his attribute on her screen. "Hiya, you're Luna, right?" He asked.

Nightmare leapt in front of the screen defensively. "Depends who's asking." Luna sighed and nudged the little bakugan away from the screen.

"Excuse her, she's just a bit worked up. Yeah, I'm Luna. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm Dan, from the battle brawlers and you might've heard of us. What I wanted to ask is if you wanted to join us as our official Darkus brawler!" He practically beamed as he spoke that last sentence.

"No, thanks," Dan's face fell. "I'm good." With nothing else to say and not wanting an awkward silence, Luna turned off the video feed and checked the rankings to see where she was at. Fortieth! Not bad at all!

"Hey guys we just reached-" Another request for a video chat came up, from the Kuso boy again. With a groan she accepted.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't-" She sighed exasperatedly. "Is a simple no not enough for you? I work alone."

"Says the girl with two guardian bakugan!" The boy pointed out, a triumphant grin apprearing on his face.

"I work well with bakugan, not humans." She shut off the video feed, not wanting to hear him again.

"I hate him already." Nightmare huffed.

Luna perked up. "Well guys, we've moved up to fortieth place!" Nocturne keened her approval atthe announcement and Nightmare brightened up.

Another request for a video chat came up, much to Luna's irritation. She accepted none the less. To her surprise, it wasn't Kuso but rather a masked brawler being talked about by many kids these days.

"Hello Luna, my name is Masquerade. I want you to meet me in the park at 11:00 Tonight." The video feed cut out as he closed the chat. Luna signed off and shut down her computer.

"We'd be disappointing to not show up, guys."

"Luna Nightshade, surely you jest?" if bakugan could drop their jaws in ball form, Nocturne would've done so.

Luna gave the skyress a slightly miffed look. "I'm serious and I'm going with or without you!" She grabbed her indigo double-buttoned coat, put it on and checked the clock as she sat back down. It was surprisingly 8:00 already.

"We can't just let you run off to meet the number one brawler, we're our own little team, we stick like glue!" Nightmare spoke up, eager to go. "Nocturne, tag with us? If things go ugly we'll need you!"

Nocturne hesitated for a moment. "Well it would be unlike myself to simply abandon you to the enemy..." Nightmare let her approval be known with a tackle-hug at the Skyress.

"Well, seeing as we have a good three hours, let's plan scenarios to have options." Luna's bakugan nodded their approval as she grabbed her Darkus Mantris to give Serpenoid a break.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Three hours later

Her two guardian bakugan flew onto her shoulder as she pocketed Mantris and her cards. She made sure she knew where her parents were, her mom not yet home and her dad was in his office playing Doom. Judging by the volume of his game he wouldn't hear her sneak out.

Once she soundlessly locked the door behind her she trudged half way through Wardington city to the park,a well tended area for the locals to hang out in that was now bathed in the dim amber of street lamps.

At the center of the park, sitting on a bench near the fountain sat a blonde boy clad in a white trench coat, purple pants, black boots, a blue shirt and most notably of all, a tinted blue mask that left only his nose and mouth uncovered. His mouth formed a smirk when he spotted her and he stood up. "I thought you'd never come."

Luna ignored the indirect insult. "What'd you call me here for?"

"You, as I've noticed has as of late been climbing the ranks like a ladder, one hundred and seventeenth place to fortieth place within a month? Incredible." He said. Luna was beginning to get angry at him for not getting to the point she already saw. She stayed quiet.

"I want you to join me, but before I can I-"

"Let me stop you right there. I don't wanna be the main talk of everyone everywhere, I'm a Shadow in the crowd. I stay that way." Luna turned to leave, only to have her wrist grabbed. She spun around, spotting Masquerade as the owner of said hand. She tugged to free her wrist, only to find he had an iron grip on it.

"Well if you won't join, then we brawl." Masquerade pulled out a card. "I won't let you go if you won't brawl."

Luna snarled inwardly. "Fine. Then will you leave me alone?"

Masquerade smirked. "No promises."

"Dandy." Both brawlers raised their respective cards. "field open!" Time slowed around them as the world melted away, replaced by six swirling dimensions around them when the battlefield materialised.

"Doom card, set" He dropped a mysterious card. "Before we start, I'd like this battle to be one on one."

"But we're the only ones here!" Luna frowned in confusion. One on one? There was only the two of them. It was already one on one!

"One versus one. A one bakugan battle." The masked boy clarified. "Seeing as you're on the loosing end, you can toss the gate card."

Luna chuckled dryly. "How chivalrous of you. Gate card set!"

Both players raised their bakugan and tossed them onto the field. Masquerade's Hydranoid stood, a four legged Darkus beast. Luna's Wavern stood, ready for battle.

"Impressive bakugan! Shame the doom dimension is its final destination." Masquerade noted its appearance was very similar to his master's sister, Wavern.

"Don't doubt Nightmare; she packs a punch!" Luna grinned, "Ability card activate! Darkest Despair!" Nightmare rose to a jaw-dropping 1280 G-Power, soaring far above Hydranoid's meager 450G.

Masquerade's jaw for the first time in his life, dropped like a rock as all he could do was sputter like an old car as Nightmare dove in, knocking Hydranoid off the battlefield and into ball form as she returned to Luna in ball form, triumphant. Time started again as the dimension wold faded, the duo were back in reality.

"you believe me now?" Luna asked, watching Masquerade pick up his bakugan.

He nodded. "I've never seen such a powerful bakugan before." The boy seemed lost in thought as he raised another card and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Alright then? Huh. Well, time to go home." Luna shrugged, turned and walked home for some long deserved sleep.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

One month later

Luna sighed heavily. "What in the world happened this past month? I've been fighting these Doom crew people, that suddenly disbands. The Brawlers go missing, show up and everyone's bakugan have evolved and Alice was Masquerade this whole time? Who'd have known."

"Hey Luna, check the TV!" Nightmare beckoned, Luna saw the reporter was talking about some gigantic hole in the ocean near Wardington.

"OH SURE! LET'S JUST ADD TO THE LIST WHY DON'T WE- is that Dan and them? The heck are they doing!?" Marucho's helicopter flew in and the back opened, revealing the five brawlers inside who, much to Luna's surprise, jumped into the hole.

"Did they just...?" Nightmare gaped at the screen.

"Yes." came Nocturne's reply.

Hours later there was a giant roar of thunder outside. Luna ran to her window to see the sky, previously clear had gone a very dark colour. The portal suddenly reopened in the ocean. Was it Dan's team?

Much to everyone's dread, a white dragon rose from the portal, purple wings like a cape. It was Naga. Naga was here for the Infinity core.

"We need to get to Wavern, guys." Luna said. Both bakugan gave her a puzzled look. "I was told she had the infinity core, right? So if Dan's team is gone, put two and two together."

"It was a trap!" Nocturne exclaimed.

Luna nodded. "We gotta-" Her computer blared with a global message from Joe asking for everyone with a bakugan to take the battle to Naga. "Speak of the devil. You up for this guys?" The two nodded.

She got Joe on the video chat. "Joe! Be careful!" Before the boy could reply she shut off her computer, grabbed her bakugan and cards and bolted out of the house to his apartment building.

Halfway there a terrible current of purple electricity attacked her bakugan. They cried out in pain. Luna stopped dead in her tracks and looked down at their writhing forms. "Hang on guys, we're almost there." She continued on, arriving at her destination and scaling the stairs only to find Joe's apartment empty.

The electricity stopped, the two bakugan returned to her shoulder. "Maybe he went to Marucho's tower." Nightmare suggested.

"Let's go then!" Luna took off again, rushing down the stairs and to the tower in the center of the city, currently keeping some sort of forcefield activated around the city.

The Darkus brawler caught her breath in the elevator going up. "Who knew-" She panted, "-Running around the place could be so-" She panted again. "-EXHAUSTING?!"

"You were not the one getting shocked!" Nocturne protested.

"True, but still!" The elevator stopped at the indoor viewing balcony near the top, the door opened and Joe was inside, much to Luna's surprise, the Battle Brawlers were there.

All eyes turned to the opened door. "Look who it is! Luna, hey!" Dan waved to her.

"Yeah.. Anyways, what's going on?" Luna stepped into the room, her bakugan flew off her shoulder and greeted the other bakugan present.

"Naga laid a trap for us on Vestroia, he's at that big hole in the ocean with that nasty old Hal-G and his goons are on their way here now!" Runo said

"Rabeeder's closing in!" Joe announced.

"I'll take care of her!" Alice left with Alpha Hydranoid.

"Tayghen's at the forcefield!" Joe exclaimed, looking at his bakupod in surprise.

"Leave it to me!" Marucho grabbed Preyas and Angelo and ran out of the room, heading for the doc.

"I-" Joe's Wavern sounded very strained, being the one keeping the shield up was taking its toll. "I Can't hold it any longer!" She cut off the Infinity core's energy, stopping the feed of energy.

Joe looked at his bakupod again. "Guys, Hairadee's coming too, further north."

Shun nodded. "Me and Skyress'll deal with him!"

"Talk about a rough crowd, huh?" Luna nudged Nightmare amusedly, trying to lighten the mood. Out in the city a giant twister of fire appeared, out of it came Druman and Centorrior.

Luna gave a grim smile. "guess that's my cue?" She headed for the door.

"You're taking them on alone?" Dan gave her a confused look.

"I've got these two, I'll be fine. I won't need backup, focus on Wavern and not me!" She went outside and tossed her two bakugan in the air. "Bakugan stand!" The duo reverted to their true forms, Skyress and Wavern. "C'mon guys! We do this for all bakugan!" The girl hopped onto Nightmare's awaiting head and the three flew off, taking the battle to the two Darkus-Pyrus hybrids.

The trio's arrival was met with snickers. "Are you mortals so desperate you sent a little girl to defeat us?" The red reptilian with purple wings sneered.

"Druman, we are desperate, yes, however we shall triumph this day! No matter the cost!" Nocturne declared, sending him a sharp look of spite.

"Well seeing as you're so sure of yourself...Vortex Energy Drain!" Centorrior shot a magenta beam of electricity from his left hand, sending it into the sky as a forcefield that enveloped the surrounding area.

"They'll have to scrape you off the dirt, mortal!" Druman gave a wicked grin. "Vortex Dark Flame!" He formed a purple ball of electricity and fired it at the three.

"Ability activate! Darkus Fury!" Nightmare formed a gigantic ball of purple flame, sending it colliding into Druman's attack, obliterating it and sending it onwards.

The attribute hybrid's eyes narrowed. "Pyrus Reflector!" The eyes on his wings opened, creating a red orb around him that sent the indigo fire at Nocturne then faded.

"Ability card activate! Scattershot!" Nocturne fired purple projectiles from her wings that destroyed the blast.

"I feel like my power is being drained!" Nocturne groaned.

"Huh?" Luna mused for an explanation. "It must be Centorrior's forcefield!" Nightmare set Luna on the ground, slightly out of the way on a small hill nearby.

"Then we need to target him, but Druman's in the way!" Nightmare returned to the battlefield. "We need to distract him!"

Luna got an Idea. "Gate card set! Ability activate, Darkest Despair! Now Nightmare!" the wyvern dove in, aiming at Druman.

The hybrid laughed. "If you think-"

"Double ability activate! Primal Rush and Darkus fury!" Nightmare soared in power, forming the ball of fire three times its original size and firing point blank at Druman, sending him crashing into the forcefield.

"You'll pay for that!" Centorrior's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Vortex Dark Nova!" he shot a purple orb into the air from his spear, it hovered there for a brief moment before dispersion in multiple shots everywhere.

Nightmare managed to avoid the deadly barrage but Nocturne wasn't so lucky. The Skyress was struck multiple times and went down heavily.

"Nocturne! No!" Luna leapt off the little hill and ran to her bakugan. Nocturne was completely still. "Nocturne?! Say something! Anything!" The girl shook the bird's beak, hoping to stir her awake to no avail. "Nocturne..."

Luna turned her attention back to the battle, hoping Nocturne was merely out cold. "Vortex Dark Nova!" Another light was shot up and dispersed, striking the unfortunate remaining Darkus bakugan and sending her to the ground as well, Nightmare got back up with a growl.

Luna had only one ability card remaining, one she had never tested out. Testing time. "Nightmare! Dont you give up on me! We're not gonna fail! Ability activate! Darkest Nightmare!"

A violet circle of fire started at her feet and grew to a circle that enveloped her, growing in size until a pair of starry wings erupted from the blazing orb, the fire dispersed, revealing an non-evolved Dragonoid with a look of seething fury upon her starry features. She looked like a night sky in the form of a bakugan.

"Boosted Dragon plus melt flare!" The night bakugan created a fireball and launched it at Centorrior.

"Inferno shield!" The centaur wrapped himself in his cape.

"Shadow Wall!" Luna had a twister of blue and violet electricity surround her as she launched herself as high as Centorrior's barrier would allow before diving back down on his head, nullifying his cape protection and the impact causing him to drop the forcefield.

Druman awoke just as Luna destroyed Centorrior, flying up in the air for a moment then flinging himself into The starry bakugan, sending her sprawling back into human form on the ground.

He raised his foot above her. "Any last words?"

Luna got up, looking up at Druman, she smirked. "Sure I do!" The brawler started laughing, it was not a despairing laugh, it was maniacal, joyful, like someone had just told a funny joke. She'd realized something, maybe working with another wasn't so bad. Backup may have been nice.

He scowled. "What are you laughing at?!"

She gave him an amused grin. "You missed something."

"What could I have possibly m-"

Before the Pyrus-Darkus hybrid could reply, he was tackled by a bright purple blur that tackled him, both figures crashing into the ground. The form of purple took to the air. "That's what you missed!"

The purple form returned to indigo, magenta and red, revealing a Darkus Storm Skyress that gave Druman a look of utter contempt. "Say the word, Luna!"

The girl recognized the voice as Nocturne. "Nocturne? You evolved!"

The Storm Skyress beamed down at Luna happily. "When you realized you couldn't just go on without friends, I was allowed to evolve."

Nightmare rose from her place, joining Nocturne in the sky. "You look beautiful!"

Nocturne nodded her thanks and looked back at Druman, who was getting up. "Let us do this!"

"Druman! It ends here! Ability activate! Destruction Meteor Storm! Nocturne, do the honors and take out the trash would you?" The evolved bakugan flew high in the air and went rigid, straightening out into an offensive position, she seemed to catch fire, glowing a brilliant purple yet again as she dove back down.

The hybrid didn't seem to give up, he flew up towards the blazing bakugan as she fell. "You can't beat me!"

"Your end is here, Druman!" The Storm Skyress gave a screech as she struck him, maneuvering back up so she wouldn't hit the ground as Druman seemed to explode into a shower of light. Luna's bakugan returned to her, remaining in their true forms.

"Incredible you two, just freaking amazing!" Luna keened her approval.

"Well I-" A deafening explosion cut off Nightmare from her sentence, out of the smoke from the now destroyed tower, Naga stood, facing against Wavern.

"No! He found her!" Luna hopped onto Nocturne's offered wing and scrabbled up to her neck as the two bakugan took off, rushing after Naga. Dread rose in the bakugan and their human with every passing second. They saw Shun's Storm Skyress and Chan Lee's Fourtress go to defend Wavern but they were blown away by a massive wave of negative energy from the Silent core he'd absorbed.

Just as he was about to reach his sister Nightmare tackled him, both bakugan crashing to the ground and rolling around, trying to gain the upper hand.

"Ability activate! Primal Rush!" Luna figured that should hold. She looked at Joe and Alice, who were currently sitting on Wavern's head. "You three alright?"

Joe nodded, "Yeah, thanks. Hey! Did Nocturne evolve?"

"Yep! Long story short, we beat Druman and Centorrior." Before anyone could get another word in a roar of pain was heard from Nightmare below, Naga had tossed her aside carelessly and was currently blasting at her with massive waves of negative energy.

Luna leapt off Nocturne. "Ability activate! Darkest Nightmare!" The orb of purple fire enveloped her and grew in size, wings erupted from the fire and it dispersed as the human-turned-Dragonoid dove in for the attack. "Ability activate! Night veil!" A blanket of shadows covered Nightmare, shielding her from the ongoing energy waves as Luna and Nocturne dove in.

"Silent down!" Naga's negative energy wave got much more intense, the assaulting duo were blown away by the sheer force behind it. Nightmare soon followed as she collided with a nearby business complex.

Luna went back to her human form and blacked out.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Later

She heard a voice calling her in the distance, it slowly got louder and after a moment she felt a ball hit her across the face.

"Wha-" She was tackle-hugged by her two Darkus bakugan, thankfully in ball form.

"We thought we wouldn't get to say goodbye."

Luna gave them a puzzled look. "Goodbye?" The two nodded.

"It is time for us to return to Vestroia. This time we cannot return." Nocturne explained grimly.

Luna gaped at them, "Why not? I thought we were at team, guys!" Her anger took over. "What happened to that?"

"For your world to become stable again all bakugan must go." Nocturne said.

"This is goodbye-"

"**No**." Luna hung her head.

"Huh?"

She gritted her teeth. "_Don't_ say goodbye. We'll see each other again someday."

"Luna..."

Runo's father grabbed his camera. "How about a little souvenir, eh?" Everyone nodded and got their own photos of them with their bakugan. Luna faked the smile in hers, a mask that everything was fine.

Drago opened the portal to Vestroia.

"This is it guys!" Runo declared, clutching her bakugan in one hand. "This is our final brawl!"

Everyone beckoned their respective bakugan to their hand and readied them. "Bakugan, brawl!" They threw the spherical creatures into the portal.

As soon as it closed Luna walked away without a word, not even caring that the sky had returned to normal.

She was _**alone**_ _again_.


	2. Waiting on the other side

If anyone didn't know better, they'd say Luna was in the military by what she wore these days.

Luna, as she'd been doing for the past three years, couldn't forget the bakugan that were in her life for that brief time. It hurt much less when they didn't say goodbye.

"What's wrong Luna?" Runo sent her a quizzical look.

The Darkus girl returned to her facade. "Nothing."

Dan groaned in frustration. "Still can't reach Shun! I've been trying for ages, what gives? Is it a ninja thing or what?"

Runo sent him an amused look. "You probably lost your cool and annoyed him again."

"I never loose my cool!" He snapped.

"You just did." Luna deadpanned.

Runo sighed. "Why don't you try Shun one more time?"

Dan looked back down at his phone. "I've already called him like a billion times!" Static was heard from the device. "Still can't connect. Something's interfering-" A large jumble of electricity suddenly appeared to his right, knocking the three over and turning into a portal that Luna recognized as a dimensional portal.

"Whoa! Sure can't be." Dan exclaimed, looking around.

"sure it can be, Dan!" A familiar voice replied. "Everything's possible." A red ball hopped in front of Dan, letting out a hearty laugh.

"A bakugan!" Luna exclaimed.

"But which one?" Runo questioned, looking down at said creature.

It unfolded itself. "Hello Daniel."

Dan's face beamed as he recognized who it was. "Drago? Is that you, man?"

The little Dragonoid looked indignant, "Of course!" He hopped onto Dan's hand. "Who else would make an entrance like that?" He laughed.

Dan got up and started chanting "Drago's back! He's back! he's back! he's back!" whilst dancing and hopping around like an excited five year old.

Julie and Marucho ran out of the bushes. "Is it true?"

Marucho grinned. "Can you believe it?"

Dan looked at them. "He is, look at him!" He shoved the dragonoid in their faces.

"It's good to see you, brawlers. All of you." He answered. Julie started jumping up and down in excitement, then started asking if Gorem could come visit, followed by Runo and Marucho asking for Tigrerra and Preyas. "I'm sorry, I'm not here for a visit. I'm here for your help."

"What's happened?" Dan asked.

"New Vestroia has been invaded, most of the bakugan have been captured and enslaved." Everyone gasped.

Luna got angry royally fast. "If they've hurt Nightmare or Nocturne..."

"This is no joke, I can't do this alone." Drago turned to Dan. "Will you help me?"

Dan grinned, giving his partner a thumbs up. "Hello? Of course! We'll make those space invaders wish they'd never heard of Dan and Drago!"

"And Runo."

"And Julie!"

Marucho nodded. "We're all here to help, Drago!"

The bakugan nodded. "The first thing you can do to help is to turn around." they did.

"Since when is he so shy?" Runo giggled.

Drago hopped onto Dan's shoulder. "I can't take the others, It needs to be just you and me."

Marucho and Luna turned slightly, unnoticed by the two currently talking.

"I'm sorry, we have to go now, Dan. Hurry."

"What? But- eh, okay." The boy turned and ran for the dimensional portal. Luna and Marucho snuck away after him.

They heard Drago talking ahead. "-Just too dangerous."

Luna cracked a rare grin. "Sounds like you're hogging all the fun!"

The Pyrus duo turned around. "Luna? Marucho?" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"No sneaking off on us!" Marucho chided. "We're going with you guys! Isn't it awesome?"

After a few minutes they arrived at a barren area, a few spires of rock decorating the area.

"So this is New Vestroia?" Dan looked around.

"I remember it being a bit more green." Marucho mused aloud. "What happened, Drago?"

"It was a paradise before they came." He said grimly. "Luna, behind you."

Luna turned around, expecting a fight, only to see two familiar bakugan. She felt tears to her eyes. "Nightmare? Nocturne! Oh my gosh where have you been!" She grabbed them out of the air and hugged them.

"Choking... Not breathing..." Nightmare wheezed. Luna released the two.

"Sorry Drago, Must've felt pretty helpless having to sit there and watch." Dan got a smack from Luna.

"Not helping!" She snapped.

"One day without warning their ships arrived, they planted their cities in our planet with no regard to life around them, they had some sort of barrier that turned bakugan back to spherical form, they soon overpowered us and captured everyone." Drago explained grimly.

"This bites! When we run into them they'll have to answer to me!" Dan snarled. "How dare they think they can get away with that!" He looked to the landscape. "Do you hear me?!"

"We hear you." A voice replied smugly. "But what are you gonna do about it?" The trio looked up and saw two boys, one with red hair, wearing white and orange and the other, a smaller boy with pink hair, clad in a green cape, a black and green shirt, grey pants and black boots.

"Oh look, it's the welcoming committee." Luna deadpanned.

"Just who I was looking for!" Dan growled.

"Go home to your toys, children." The taller one said.

"You'd better go back to where you came from!" Dan demanded.

The childlike one blinked. "Surrender? To you?" He nearly toppled off the rock laughing. Luna had to admit the shorter one was cute. She then slapped herself in the face and told herself to shut up. He sat up. "This I gotta see!"

"Pretty big talk from a little kid! C'mon, show me what you got!" Before Dan could accept, Luna got in front of her team.

"I'll take you both on! You hear me?!" She snarled.

"The short boy looked to the taller one. "What do you think Volt? Should we teach these little squirts a lesson?" he looked at Luna disdainfully. "It should be easy; they don't have gauntlets."

Luna sent him a puzzled look. "Hot a whats?" She scoffed. "Psh! All I need are these two to beat you!"

The vestal boy looked at her for a moment before bursting into another fit of laughter. Suddenly a large yellow motorcycle was above the humans, who jumped forwards to escape being run over. The vestal boy sat up and groaned. "Not her again!"

The girl got off her vehicle and looked to the humans. "I don't know who you are or where you've come from, but you'll need a gauntlet to brawl in New Vestroia." Luna groaned in frustration.

"I don't take orders from vestals!" Dan spat.

The girl smirked. "I lead the Battle Brawlers resistance. My name is Mira." Mira tossed Luna a white and purple gauntlet. "Let's see if you can keep up against the Vexos."

"The Vexos?" Luna put on said gauntlet, checking it over, it seemed you had to load ability cards into it to activate them.

"Yes, Vestal's top brawlers." She looked up at the two on the rocks. "The tall one with no brain is Volt and the baby who thinks he's cool is Lync."

Lync stood up, while Volt remained stoic. "Hey! Watch your mouth!"

"Like he said." Volt chipped in.

"Their mine!" Luna growled.

Mira stepped towards her. "So human, are you a chicken, or a brawler?"

That hit a nerve. "I'm no coward! Lemme at 'em!"

"Alright then, let's go." Mira said.

"Sorry, I don't play tag-team." Luna shot her a bemused glance as the Vexos hopped down from their rock.

"Finally! the talking stops! We accept your challenge!" Lync put on his gauntlet. The only difference between Vexos and resistance gauntlets were the Vexos ones were black instead of white and had three horn-like protrusions on the end.

"It's almost too easy to be fun." Volt followed suit with his gauntlet.

"Just load that card in and say gauntlet power strike to start." Mira offered. Luna sent her a nod of understanding before loading said card.

"Gauntlet, power strike!" The brawling trio called.

The pink haired vestal grinned deviously "I'm first, okay kiddies? Gate card set!" Lync tossed a card that landed, then dissipated into the ground. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand!" The boy tossed a Ventus Flybeetle onto the field. Volt tossed a Haos Verias, a baboon like bakugan with what looked like a long bamboo staff for a weapon.

"Monkey and a bug, eh? Bakugan brawl!" Luna tossed her Wavern into the fight. "Nightmare stand!" The wyvern rose with a piercing screech.

Lync looked to his gauntlet, incredulous. "Did you really expect to be able to win this with THAT? Oh I think I might just die laughting!"

Luna grinned. "Well you might just die when I mop the floor with you!"

The boy scoffed. "That's big talk for someone with a weak bakugan!"

"Won't be weak for long!" Luna promised. "Double ability activate! Shadow Tornado plus Primal Rush!" Nightmare soared from 580G to 3080G as she was engulfed in a purple and violet tornado of fire, she rushed at her opponents, razing Verias back to his spherical form and to Luna and chasing Flybeetle across the sky.

"Gate card open! Ventus Reactor!" Flybeetle went up a meager 200G, not nearly enough to catch up with the Wavern in pursuit.

Luna watched as Nightmare made short work of the bug, oddly enough it came to Luna with Nightmare.

"We'll kids, my turn! Gate card set!" She tossed down her card, then threw down her Storm Skyress. "Gate card open! Cheering battle!" Luna rolled down Nightmare. Volt rolled down Freezer and Lync tossed Atmos.

Luna watched in amusement as Lync panicked while his bakugan was chased by the two Darkus predators. "Fun and games are over, kid. Ability activate! Destruction Meteor Storm!" Nocturne went into attack formation and was covered in purple flames, she dove in and wiped out Atmos without a problem, both Darkus bakugan turned their attention to Freezer.

"Ability activate! Darkus fury!" Nightmare made an indigo ball of flames the size of herself and shot it at freezer.

Volt smirked. "Ability activate, freeze!" Both darkus bakugan and attack stopped immediately.

"What the heck was that?!" Luna's eyes widened, little bugger must've had that planned. Time for backup. "Ability activate! Darkest Nightmare!" For a brief moment, the two Vexos looked nonchalant with her activating an ability, that's until the flames started near her feet and she stepped onto the field herself, fire rising into an orb as it grew and two wings broke through the fire, disoersing it and revealing the starry Dragonoid within.

Luna pulled the rug from right under them, seeing as everyone gaped at her for her sudden action. "What? Never seen a bakugan before?" She took to the air, rising high then diving back town right on top of freezer, returning him to ball form and having him land at Luna's side, she flew to her side and landed, reverting to human form as Nightmare and Nocturne unfroze, returning to her as well.

"Lync Volan and Volt Luster life force: zero." The gauntlets announced.

"well-" The two simply continued to gape at her, she scowled. "Don't you know staring is rude?!" The Vestal duo bolted, disappearing around the rocks.

"Interesting, to say the least. Dangerous?" Luna sent Drago a dry look. "Nada." She gave the four captured Ventus and Haos bakugan to Mira. "Here's your change, ma'am."


	3. Midnight surprise

As soon as they'd arrived, the resistance's hotshot brawler, Ace decided Dan and them needed to prove themselves before they could join, the battle ended up being a tie after a three hour brawl. Dan and Marucho picked out a new outfit for themselves, the three new arrivals were briefed about the dimensional controllers and fanboyed by Baron, then Dan suggested training before they arrived at Alpha city and everyone accepted. Before that can happen, they'd need to eat and sleep.

Baron was busy coddling Dan and asking him to tell stories, then going about how he'd be the greatest brawler ever.

"Sorry Baron but the greatest thing about you right now is your mouth." Mira said.

"Huh?"

"If you spent as much time practicing as you did talking, you'd be a master brawler by now."

"No way! How could you say that?" Baron sent her a look of indignant anger.

"Don't listen to her Baron! You're doing fine. Right, Drago?" Dan turned to his Pyrus Dragonoid.

Drago sighed. "She does have a point."

Dan got up from his seat at the campfire. "Okay then, we'll show them you've got what it takes together." He looked at Baron with a smile. "And you can bet I won't go easy on you Baron! Okay?"

Baron bowed. "Yes, your word is my command!"

"Aw c'mon it was just a joke!" Dan laughed.

Baron got up and started laughing with him, the duo going inside to bed so they had an early start tomorrow.

Luna shook her head. "It has been a very long three years indeed." Her bakugan perched on her shoulder gave grunts of agreement. "One minute peace then the next, the I-bomb has been dropped."

Mira tilted her head slightly in confusion. "I-bomb?"

"A way of me saying invaders show up." Luna explained.

"Ah, I see." Mira nodded, then got up. "I'd better head off to sleep too; big day tomorrow." Ace and Marucho followed her in.

Marucho stopped at the door, "Luna? Are you coming?"

"Nah, I'll keep watch." She replied.

"But you'll be tired!" He protested.

"I go to school with three to six hours sleep every week and pass, I'm good."

"Alright then." the short boy disappeared inside the mobile base.

Luna put Nocturne and Nightmare in her hands, she gave them a triumphant smirk. "Told you we'd meet again."

"Wasn't guaranteed though." Nightmare said.

"Yeah. Last three years have been hell." Luna admitted, smirk dropping to a small smile.

"You missed us that much, eh?" Nightmare inwardly grinned.

"Not just that, parents soon moved away to canada, going for some job offer."

Nocturne perked up. "What's so bad about that?"

"I uh, got attacked within the first week of school by twenty plus girls for saving library books and was called a sheep for two years, then had my old name i-" She stopped, remembering why she'd changed her name to Luna in the first place.

"Why I ought to-" Nightmare clamped a wing over the Storm Skyress's beak.

"Shush, you." The wyvern looked up at her brawler. "Sorry kiddo."

Luna didn't seem to hear her, she got up, puzzled frown on her face. "Anyone hear a light buzzing noise?" Her bakugan perked up, listening for said sound.

"Yes! I hear it as well!" Nocturne hopped to Luna's shoulder, looking around. Suddenly the buzzing stopped, they sat silently for several minutes, listening for it to no avail.

Luna shrugged. "Mosquitos, gotta hate them." She curled up on the ground, clutching her two guardians to her chest as she fell asleep.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Luna woke with a start, having been shaken awake by Baron, she swatted at him groggily. "Go away I'm trying to sleep."

"Have you been out here all night master Luna?!" He asked.

The darkus brawler got up. "First, stop calling me master. Second, yeah, I was."

"You should've come inside! What if the Vexos showed up? They could've just taken your bakugan! Maybe even you too!"

"But they didn't." The blonde yawned. "What's up?"

"We're about to leave to a nearby forest to train." The lavender haired boy replied. Luna walked inside the mobile base with him on her heels. The door shut behind them and the base rolled to the forest.

After half an hour they arrived in what looked like a forest with those weird white pom-pom tipped plants thatLuna couldn't remember the name of, however instead of white they were a light purple.

Everyone stepped outside. "Final stop; the forest of fluffy doom!" Luna mimicked the voice of an announcer. Her bakugan got a decent laugh of it.

Baron and Dan ran a ways ahead of the group and the Pyrus brawler set down his gate card and rolled Drago onto it while Baron rolled Nemus.

They stood there for a moment, then Dan started repeating "Get psyched!" and flailing his arms before hitting his chest with his fists like a monkey while yelling. Ace sat down when Baron started doing it.

"Is he gonna do this every time he brawls?" The green haired boy grumbled.

"Hope not." Marucho scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Drago and Nemus started chatting while their respective brawlers slightly embarrassed them.

Baron suddenly stopped copying Dan, he stood up straight. "I'm sorry, I can't train with you."

Dan seemed not to head him. "Yeah! Stay psyched! Keep it up-" He stopped and looked to Baron for an explanation. "What are you talking about?"

Baron sighed. "It's just that I don't deserve to battle with someone of your skill and bravery, sir."

"That's a pretty odd thing to say."

"I'm just not worthy." He dropped to the ground and hit the dirt with a fist. "I'm so sorry, you see it's all my fault what happened to Tigrerra!"

Dan's expression turned to one of puzzlement. "Tigrerra?"

"We were brawling Spectra, I lost my nerve, and then I lost Tigrerra." Baron explained.

"I had no idea." Dan kneeled down in front of Baron. "That makes it even more important for you to get back in action dude! To battle, so you can win back Tigrerra!"

Baron looked up at him worriedly. "But if I loose again I'll loose Nemus from me! I couldn't stand that! Remember; you loose your bakigan if the power difference is over five hundred! I couldn't risk that again, Dan. Could you?"

The Pyrus brawler put a hand on Baron's shoulder. "I know it's tough, but you gotta try."

Baron shook his head. "No way. I'd rather just hand over Nemus than to loose him in a battle."

"You don't mean that." Dan said.

"Yes he does, so save your breath, Dan." Mira interjected, walking up to the two. "You think you're going to free the bakugan with that kind of attitude? We can't afford to have you in the resistance if you're just going to give up."

Dan looked up at her. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Mira? The poor guy needs to get his confidence back."

Marucho ran between the two. "Let's calm down! Inexperience like that is bound to shake a guy's confidence! If Dan works with him I bet Baron will be back to his old self."

"Aw come on Mira!" Dan got to his feet. "You know how it is to loose a bakugan. We're all in this together; we have to work as a team!"

Mira crossed her arms. "My point exactly."

"What?" Daniel asked.

"A team is only as strong-" She looked to Baron. "-as its weakest member."

Suddenly a black and purple ship the size of the mobile base appeared, flying erratically towards them.

Luna scowled. "That guy drives worse than my sister!" She recalled the time her sister drove the jeep, Luna's foot got caught on a rope and she was dragged through mud for a kilometer yelling at her sister.

The ship swerved dangerously and tottered to its sides several times, bumping into trees on the way down and finally hit the ground, dragging itself right in front of the resistance members before angling upwards dangerously as if it was about to fall forwards and crush them, only to land back where it was.

"Nice landing!" Dan commented sarcatsically.

The ship opened, revealing two pilots, the first one got out, cackling before he lost his footing and landed headfirstinto the ground. The purple coated boy pulled his head out whilst laughing. "What a rush!"

The second figure, a girl dressed in armor and a blue cape, did a much more graceful exit of the ship that the first. "Shadow! You imbecile! Must everything be a joke to you?"

"Mylene! Shadow!" Mira exclaimed.

Dan looked at her. "Who?"

"More of the Vexos." She explained.

Shadow lurched forwards, tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Surprise!" He cackled. "So, who's got the guts to battle me?" The silver haired boy looked at the group for a moment. "How about you?" He gestured to Luna.

"Sure! Let's get this party started!" She brought her guardians up to eye level, ready to go.

"No, not you. Baron will brawl him!" Mira decided.

Baron's eyes widened. "What!? No, no, I don't mind! Luna can handle this one!"

"This is your chance to prove your worth, are you ready to jam or ready to run?"

"But what if I loose Nemus?" Baron asked worriedly. Nemus hopped onto his hand.

"We won't know if we don't try, Baron. We can win this, I trust you." The little white and yellow ball assured.

Shadow turned to Mylene. "This one's not even worth my time! Want him Mylene?"

She glowered at him. "No way, you can have the small fry."

The Darkus brawler stomped his foot in protest. "Aw come on! How come I get the lame battles?!"

"Then finish him, quick." She replied irritably. Shadow turned to Baron, gauntlet raised.

"Ready wimp?" Baron raised his gauntlet as a yes.

"Gauntlet power strike!" The two called.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

"-You can't win if you don't battle!" Nemus yelled, frustrated with his brawler.

Baron played defense and it cost him two losses, if he lost again he would loose the brawl. Currently Shadow had Darkus Atchibee on the field.

"You're right Nemus, sorry. Time to get back in the game!" Baron tossed his Haos bakugan onto the field, Nemus stood.

Shadow cackled. "Finally giving up Nemus? I'll add him to my collection."

Baron growled. "Nobody touches Nemus on my watch!" He activated an ability card, a yellow beam of light spiraled up Nemus.

"Another lame attack? Ability activate! Vermillion Jet Black!" Atchibee beat its wings and the area adopted a dark purple hue as Nemus lost 300G.

"Ability activate! Shade cocoon!" Nemus raised his staff and hit the ground with it's bottom, sending a wave of multicolored light away and canceling out Atchibee's abilities. The area returned to normal.

Shadow glowered at the Haos brawler. "I don't need any abilities to beat you! Hammersaur stand!" The Darkus bakugan leapt at Nemus, he hals bakugan held him off with his staff.

"Oh no their ganging up on Nemus! Baron do something!" Dan exclaimed.

"hang in there Nemus! Just a little longer!" Baron insisted, holding an ability card.

Shadow grinned. "We've got a party! Let's invite Anchorsaur!" The next Darkus bakugan stood.

"Baron! If you don't act now I'll get involved!" Luna's anger was rising. Nemus was at 250G and his opponents at 1000G now.

"Alright Nemus!" Baron announced. "Last chance to win! Fusion ability activate! Flow Skylight!" Nemus switched G-Power with the Darkus trio, if he beat them than he would get all of them.

"Light of the majestic sky, release my friends from captivity!" he swiped at them once with his staff, sending them to Baron in ball form.

Baron caught Nemus. "Flow Skylight is an ability that only works if Shade Cocoon is active and the power difference is over five hundred."

Shadow gasped. "You mean you faked me out?!" He stomped around like a child. "No fair! I'm the one who's supposed to cheat! Not the resistance!"

"You are an overconfident numskull!" Mylene said.

Shadow turned heel and glared at her. "I am not!"

"Oh man up!" She turned her head away indignantly. "It's your loss, you're taking the blame! Get in the ship, we're going and this time I'm driving." He got back in the ship.

"I can't believe how bossy you are!" He whined as the craft closed and Mylene took off.

"What'd I tell ya? It's all about getting psyched! Then you brawl with everything you've got!" Dan cheered.

Baron nodded. "Oh yeah, I was psyched! But I wouldn't have done it had Nemus not trusted me and not hang in there the way he did!"

Nemus unfolded. "It was nothing! I knew you wouldnt let me down. We're partners! A team 'till the end!"

"Aw, that's the nicest thing a bakugan has ever said to me!" He hugged Nemus.

"Not so tight! Let me breathe!" Came the muffled protest.

" well, I guess that means we don't need master Dan or Drago anymore, we'll free the bakugan by ourselves!" The victorious Haos brawler teased.

That struck a nerve. "Hey! I've still got lots to teach you! Now drop and give me twenty pushups!" The Pyrus brawler snapped. Everyone broke out into laughter.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Midnight

Luna sat atop the base, unable to sleep. She sighed and looked to her two sleeping partners, both dreaming without a sound. Her, on the other hand, had a terrible tendency to snore and even talk in her sleep. Fortunately for her most days she'd had no dreams, just darkness until se awoke seemingly seconds later. Lately though, she'd been having dreams, hazy at first but it slowly became clearer.

She didn't know what the dream was, just a flash of images of the resistance, the Vexos, Earth and the bakugan. She was so deep in her musing she didn't hear the set of footsteps approaching her.

"Not a good idea to be out alone at night, especially while everyone's asleep and-" BAM! She jolted upright and slugged the stranger in the face, causing whoever it was to fall flat on their rear whilst clutching their nose.

She recognised the now bloodied-nosed boy as Shadow Prove. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Her eyes widened as she went to help him. He swatted her hand away angrily.

"Oh my poor nose!" The silver haired boy sounded rather silly with his nose covered. Luna tossed him several napkins as a last ditch effort, he took them and stuffed them in his nose. "Jeez lady you hit hard!"

"Not so loud!" The Darkus girl hissed, grabbing him by the arm and heading into the woods of fluffy doom. "The heck are you here for anyways?"

He glared up at her. "Well I WAS here to battle you, but then SOMEONE had to slug me in the FACE!" Luna looked at him as seriously as possible for a moment before she doubled over laughing uncontrollably.

"You sound like a broken trumpet!" She giggled.

"Quit making fun of me!" He snapped, pride stung by her snide remark. "This is your fault!"

She got up, still laughing a bit, then bursting into laughter as a thought came to mind. "Trumpets are related to horns, aren't they? Does this mean your cousin is horny?"

His glare turned to a glower. "Shut up!"

Luna slapped herself. "Alright sorry. Got overexcited there."

"Why'd you slap yourself? Not that I'm complaining or anything."

"I do that a lot. Keeps me out of trouble and gets me focused most times, others it's to just shut me up both physically and mentally."

He blinked. "...Okay then."

Luna sent him a look. "Thank you for your permission." She said dryly.

"You know, for a human, you're not like any of the resistance members so far. You're pretty mellow unlike the hotheads back there." Shadow pointed a thumb back at the base.

"Well it's only really Ace and Dan who are hotheads, Marucho's pretty chill and so is Mira while Baron's more of the overexcited fanboy." The blonde shrugged. "Name's Luna by the way."

Shadow perked up. "Hey I think my nose stopped bleeding!"

"Better not take the napkins out, might start again. We gonna brawl or what?" Luna took out Nightmare and Nocturne and readied her gauntlet.

Shadow raised his gauntlet. "Sure, why not."

"Gauntlet, Power strike!" They called.

"Seeing as I whopped you on the nose, you get to set the gate card." The girl decided.

"Fine by me. Gate card set!" The card hit the ground and dissipated in a wave of purple energy. "Bakugan brawl! Darkus Manion stand!" The Darkus bakugan stood, revealing a sphinx-like bakugan with 600G.

"Bakugan brawl! Nightmare stand!" The wyvern reverted to it's true form.

"Gate card open! Darkus reactor!" All bakugan rose 200G.

"Ability activate! Darkest Despair!" Nightmare rose 600G higher than Manion and dove in to attack.

Shadow grinned. "Not so fast, scales! Ability activate, Copycat!" His Manion rose 700G and Nightmare had to veer sharply up to avoid being swiped by it's claws.

"Double ability activate! Special Darkness plus Night's Trap!" Manion nosedived to 100G, now unable to move due to lack of power.

"Ability activate, Amon-Re!" Much to Shadow Prove's dismay, nothing happened. "What the-?"

"Special Darkness prevents you from using any abilities and Night's trap leaves you with only one hundred G-Power. Copy that!" Nightmare dived in, whipping Manion with her tail and defeating it. Both Darkus bakugan went to Luna.

"Gate card set! Bakugan brawl, Nocturne stand!" The girl tossed her Storm Skyress out, it flew up in a flurry of feathers as it gave a screech. Shadow sent out a Darkus Rattleoid.

"Ability activate! Poison fang!" Nocturne lost 50G, leaving her at 450 and the Rattleoid at 600G.

"Gate card open!" Luna threw Nightmare into the battle and Shadow's next bakugan was forced in, revealing it as a familiar Darkus Serpenoid.

"Is that-" Luna paused, looking the Serpenoid up and down.

"I am afraid it is." Nocturne sent Shadow a glare.

Current standings were Shadow's team; 1200G. Luna's team; 1030G. "Ability card activate! Primal Rush!" Luna's side rose to 3530G and dove in, knocking both serpents off the field and sending the four battling bakugan to Luna.

"Battle over. Winner; Luna Nightshade." Her gauntlet announced.

"Guess you're not as weak as I thought you were." Shadow returned to his ship, somehow taking off without driving erratically as he had been earlier that day.

Luna looked down at her two bakugan. "Not a word to anyone or anything about this."


	4. Nothing could possibly go wrong

Chapter 4

Luna awoke to the sound of her gauntlet ringing, someone was trying to contact her. With a sigh she answered the call. Dan's face appeared on screen.

"Luna where'd you go? We've spent half the morning looking for you!"

"Sorry, slept in." She replied nonchalantly, looking around. "I slept in a tree. Don't know why, but I slept in a tree. I cant even climb trees!"

"Then quit monkeying around and get back here! We're ready to go!" He snapped.

"Nice pun. I'll be there in a few minutes." She shut off the video feed and did a quick inventory check. Captured bakugan? Check. Gauntlet? Check. Nocturne? Check. Nightmare? Che- nope. "Nightmare?"

The trees ahead of her rustled a bit, before said Darkus bakugan zipped towards the ground on a leaf. "I believe I can glide!" She was going to land in a thicket of brambles. "Oh no! Help!" Too late, she disappeared inside the dense, thorny bushes.

"Nightmare, you dolt!" Nocturne yelled after her as Luna climbed down the tree to the bush.

"Can you get out?" Luna hoped the moron could, she wasn't in the mood to deal with this- then again when was anyone ever in the mood to climb through thorns?

A few moments later, Nightmare replied. "No dice. Both figuratively and literally."

"Oh damn it all!" The Darkus brawler groaned exasperatedly, set down Nocturne and climbed in the thicket, being as wary of the things as possible. It was impossible to avoid them all, Luna got a few decent scratches from the blasted things. She eventually got to the center and found Nightmare, grabbed her and escaped the wretched bush.

They met up with Dan back at the base. "Wow looks like you had a fun time."

"Well someone decided to hop on a leaf and glide into a bramble thicket!" She sent a glare between Dan and Nightmare. For some reason she felt like karma came and bit her in the rear for her sarcastic comments earlier.

A small scale explosion sounded from inside the base, followed by Ace's yelling. Everyone ran in, expecting the worst only to find that Baron had accidentally fried one of the control panels.

"Oh lovely. Time to disappear for a bit while this whole mess cools down." Luna snuck away from everyone and for good measure, went to the edge of the woods far away from said people.

She sat on the ground and put her bakugan on a flat rock. "You two hear that?" The Darkus girl went quiet for a moment. "That, my friends, is the sound of nothing."

"Oh ha ha." Nocturne retorted dryly. "Very amusing."

"Not as amusing as that one day with the soda and mints!" Nightmare said.

As the two got into a conversation, Luna let her thoughts wonder to a common topic among teenagers of her gender. Boys.

She found Lync to be pretty cute and Shadow kind of nice. Meanwhile on the brawler team the only one who'd ever caught her eye was Shun, far too quiet for her likes. Before she could forget, she slapped herself for thinking of the enemy like that.

Another problem was that she'd never been in a relationship like that. Heck, she barely knew how friendship worked! Then again things like this come with experience so there was bound to be a few kinks within a line of relationships in general.

"Who's that?" Luna's head snapped up at Nightmare's question, looking to the distant desert, she saw a cloaked figure coming her way.

"I'd say run, but they've probably seen us." Luna replied half worriedly. "Yeah, they've definetly seen us."

After what seemed like an hour, the figure stopped in front of the Darkus trio and put the hood of it's cloak down, revealing a boy with green eyes and long, wavy blue hair.

The boy looked to Luna's two guardians. "Those are fine bakugan you have there."

"Sure are. What's a guy like you doing out in the desert?" She didn't show it, but Luna had a growing suspicion about this one.

"I'm hiking through the area to collect and study soil samples, and who are you?" He asked.

"Lanué Zyrios." She decided to play safe rather than sorry. The Darkus brawler also got a Subterra vibe from this one.

"What is someone such as yourself doing out in the woods alone?"

Dang it! "Helping out a local group of Wontu." She replied.

"Interesting. Why are you so concerned with those bakugan?" The boy almost looked smug as he asked.

"They're my friends."

"But what's in it for you?"

Was he really shooting that question right now? "What do you mean?"

His eyes narrowed. "You don't know why you battle? You're an amateur!"

Nerve; struck. "Amateur!?"

"Maybe you're just some mindless do-gooder, or maybe you're hungry for power." His expression returned to calculative.

"No way! I'd rather stay the crowd's shadow."

"Then what is the answer to my question?" The boy demanded. "Battling without purpose is meaningless!"

Luna's eyes narrowed. "Hold up, who are you anyways?"

He stared at her for a long moment. "I too am interested in the bakugan, for my own personal reasons." Nightmare gave him a warning growl.

A smirk made it's way onto his face. "Catch you later, Luna Nightshade." The boy simply turned and left back to the desert.

Once he was out of sight Luna plopped down. "What's that guys problem?"

"My biggest concern is how he knew your name even when you lied." Nocturne stated.

Luna groaned inwardly. "No kidding. Now I'll have to come up with another fake name. Do you guys know how hard it is to find cool, night related names?"

"Could be worse." Nightmare pointed out. "He could've snagged you to the Vexos and nobody would know; you never tell anyone where you go so they'd think you went lone wolf again."

"Yeah, I know." The girl started fiddling with a random card. "Hey, new fake name; Lacunae Nocturne. Has a nice ring to it, eh?" Without thinking she put the card in her gauntlet and a puple laser blade suddenly formed at the front end of the gauntlet.

"Those things have swords?!" Nightmare jumped a foot in the air in fright. "jeebus!"

Luna got up and swished the sword around a bit. "This is awesome!"

"Watch it! Don't hit us with that!" Nightmare pleaded.

"Relax! I don't intend to have Wavern sushi! Jeez Nightmare." Luna removed the card, taking note of its design and putting it back. "Hey wait I'm getting off track. Better tell the team about this guy." She grabbed her two bakugan and raced off to the mobile base.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Base

Alright! Everything's fixed, ready-"

"Guys! Spotted suspicious guy, questions, left-" Luna entered the room, chest heaving. She wasn't the sporty type, running several kilometers was doable but not fun.

"Slow down. Tell us what happened when you catch your breath." Mira ordered, concern for her usually quiet friend evident.

Luna nodded to Nightmare to speak. "Suspicious guy walked our way, Green eyes, blue hair. Had a Subterra vibe to him. He asked us a few questions, Luna lied about things and somehow, he knew who we were."

"Thanks Nightmare and Marucho." Luna took the offered glass of water from Marucho.

Mira mused for a moment before a thought settled in her head. "Sounds like Gus Grav, Subterra brawler of the Vexos."

The Darkus girl groaned. "Let me guess; there's six of them, isn't there?" Mira nodded. "Lovely. More people to be paranoid about! So we have Ventus, Darkus, Haos, Aquos and Subterra on the list, leaving Pyrus as the rogue element."

Baron started driving the MB, heading closer to the city as Luna managed to climb up and sit on top of the base. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze.

She felt something was off.

Suddenly the breeze seemed to whip around everywhere, her eyes snapped open in alarm, spotting a red scout ship, like Shadow's, currently circling the base at a rapid speed. The base slowed to a halt and so did the ship as it hovered in front of the MB.

From the middle of the ship emerged the blue haired boy from earlier, minus the cape.

"So tell me, Luna Nightshade, have you found an answer for why you brawl?" He asked, arms crossed expectantly. The ship landed and he hopped onto the ground as everyone inside the base got out.

"So you're the same guy from earlier. No more hiding, pal."

He nodded. "My real name is Gus Grav. My master, Spectra Phantom sends his regards."

"Careful," Mira stated. "He's the number two Vexos brawler."

"Oh lovely. Well then, let's see what he's got!" Luna snapped on her gauntlet and Gus followed suit with a knowing smirk.

"Gauntlet power strike!"

Luna reached for a gate card instinctively. "Gate card set!" The card was absorbed into the ground in a pulse of purple light. "Bakugan brawl! Nightmare stand!" The Wavern emerged with a fierce roar. She had 580G

"Bakugan brawl! Primo Vulcan, Stand!" He threw his bakugan on field, it appeared as a large Subterra humanoid bakugan with 500G.

"Sweet beejesus that thing is huge!" Luna's eyes widened, Vulcan easily towered over everyone.

"Enough talk!" He snapped.

Nightmare stared down balefully at Vulcan. "Alrighty then!"

Suddenly Vulcan rose into the sky with what looked like rocket boot feet of some sort, flying just high enough to slug Nightmare in the face, knocking her out of the sky and knocking 80G out of her.

He landed as the Wavern got up. Gus laughed. "You are so out of your league it's sad!"

Luna shot him a glower. "Time to quit holding back! Gate card open! Darkus reactor!" Nightmare rose to 700G.

"Ability activate! Darkus fury!" Nightmare shot an indigo fireball at Vulcan.

"Ability activate! Heavy Aegis!" Vulcan's fists began to spin, going as fast as a drill as he hit the fireball, destroying it entirely.

"Incredible!" Nightmare's jaw nearly dropped.

"Primo Vulcan is made from New Vestroia's most indestructible metal, and when Heavy Aegis is active, that defense is amplified one hundred fold, making your pitiful attack useless."

Vulcan rose 100G while Nightmare lost 100, then Vulcan rose another 200 as she lost 200G.

"I think it's time for your first lesson in true power. Ability activate, Titan Knuckle."

"Do you concede defeat?" Inquired Vulcan, arm raised for attack.

"Never!" Snapped Nightmare.

"Then I'll make you bow!" He fired off the raised arm like a missile, revealing it as a gauntlet of sorts that's hand opened and hit Nightmare in the neck, effectively placing her in a choke hold and sending her to the ground. Vulcan rose to 900G while the Wavern fell to 400.

Luna looked at her gauntlet in horror. "No!"

"Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Terra itself gives Primo Vulcan strength! You can't resist it!" Gus stood by Vulcan almost smugly.

Luna snarled, thinking for a moment before going for a risky move. "Ability activate! Rapid Fire!" She threw Nocturne to the field, the bakugan stood with a screech of fury, sending a glare to Vulcan.

"Time to knock this guy down to the dust! Ability activate! Destruction Meteor Storm!" Nocturne rose 100G and was alight with purple flames as she sled into the sky and above the clouds, Nightmare got up and shook her head.

"Double ability activate! Darkus fury plus fusion ability Melt flare!" The next ball of fire Nightmare made grew three times its original size as Vulcan's attention shifted to Nocturne, leaving his back to the wyvern as she shot the fire, striking him in the back.

He lurched forwards a bit before catching himself.

"Nice one, hitting him in his blind spot!" Gus sent Luna an amused look.

"Quit being patronizing! Man is that irritating!" Vulcan's gauntlet arm fell from Nightmare's neck and reattached to him. Nocturne dived towards him at a dangerous speed without his notice.

Gus' amused look faded. "My apologies, I was merely trying to encourage you." He stood up. "This battle is far from over, in fact it has only just begun!" Gus pulled a card from his pocket and loaded it into his gauntlet. "Ability card set! Ability activate! Pyrus Durance!" Violent explosions shot out from Vulcan, hitting Nightmare and Nocturne, sending them back to ball form.

"Sorry Luna." They said simultaneously.

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're not gone." She replied, looking back to the triumphant brawler.

"Lesson one; never take your opponent's defeat for granted, chances are they may have one or two more cards up their sleeve." He carelessly dropped a gate card he was holding, it fading into the ground with an orange pulse.

"Let's get down to business, shall we? Luna Nightshade, it's time I show you how the big boys play!" His expression turned serious.

Alright, he wanted to play snide? Fine. "Then I guess I'll show you what true despair is!" Luna rolled Nocturne as Gus threw Vulcan, both standing and ready for a fierce brawl. Both bakugan were 500G.

"Gate card open; Subterra Reactor." Vulcan rose to 900G.

"Original." Luna said dryly, earning a snicker from Nightmare. "Ability activate! Rapid Fire!" She threw Nightmare to help Nocturne.

"I'll show you the true power of a bakugan trap! Hexados stand!" The boy threw a cylindrical bakugan into the air, it burrowed into the ground and emerged as a wormlike bakugan. It raised Vulcan another 350G. "Ability activate, Ray drill!" Tentacle-like appendages emerged from it's sides as it opened fire on Nightmare with orange lasers. It rose to 550G, keeping Vulcan and Hexados at a 1450G, overpowering Nocturne and Nightmare.

It's power went to 1150G when Nightmare hit it with a fireball. "Ha! Big deal! You can't beat what you can't see!" Hexados burrowed underground.

Luna's team listened, they heard rumbling and their heads turned to Mira, Baron, Ace and Marucho, who had jumped away from the burrowing bakugan as it suddenly emerged in front of Nocturne and opening fire, eliminating her from the round and dropping Nightmare to a dangerous 580G.

"Luna! You need to turn this around and fast! Nightmare can't fight them alone!"

"Sure she can! Triple ability activate!"

Gus' eyes widened. "No! You can't-"

"Nocturnal Thief, Primal Rush and Darkest Despair!" Luna's move made Gus' jaw dropped; Nightmare soared to 3780G as Vulcan and Hexados were left with 750G.

"Next lesson?" Luna asked, a hint of amusement on her face.

"You certainly can dish it out, but can you take it? Ability activate; Viblow!" A meager 200G was taken from the Wavern and put to Vulcan as his fists spun, this time creating a protective cage of earth around him.

"Ability activate! Darkus Electro!" A beam of indigo and magenta electricity struck the earth shield, destroying it.

"You don't understand, do you Luna? I cannot loose! Victory is my destiny! My master Spectra has promised to change the world and I'm going to help!" Gus declared.

"New Vestroia isn't yours to change and the bakugan aren't slaves!" the girl snapped.

"Fool, we all serve master Spectra and soon, you, Nightmare and Nocturne will bow before him."

"We'll never bow to the likes of you!" Luna snarled. Nightmare sent out fireballs at Vulcan in a vain attempt to defeat him, he absorbed every one, taking a bit of her G-Power every time she attacked.

"There's no use fighting, Luna, Spectra is leading us all into a new future with him! Primo Vulcan and I will rule at his side." He gave her a malicious smirk.

"You're crazy! I thought I was the insane one but man are you screw loose!"

"Enough insolence! Ability activate! Drill Impact!" Vulcan's gauntlet fired again, sending the Wavern careening into a rock pillar. The pillar broke off near its middle, toppling towards Luna. "Say goodbye, human."

Nightmare shoved the stone away before it could hit her charge. She was hit in the face with another gauntlet from Vulcan that sent her reeling back.

"Nightmare!" The wyvern returned to ball form and Luna caught her before she hit the ground.

"It's like I told you," Luna glowered up at Gus's disdainful gaze. "friendship doesn't matter, power does." His ship hovered to him and he hopped in. "Thanks to master Spectra I am more than a mere brawler." Oh how badly she wanted to wipe off his snide smirk.

"Give up while you still can." With that, he flew off.

Luna sank down to a sitting position, holding her two guardians with an unreadable expression. "You two all set?" They nodded. "Good."

The others crowded around her with words of what ti her was meaningless sympathy.

"Oh quit it guys, I'm not bummed out it's just that I'll need better strategy is all."

"Great idea!" Baron and Dan seemed to beam. "Training makes perfect!"

"No Dan, not training. I need to do actual thinking." She headed back to the mobile base, before turning and adding "Alone." before disappearing inside.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Later

"Next time he shows his mug I'll show him." Luna spat bitterly.

"Pipe down, you're all riled up for nothing! Not to mention almost everyone's asleep." Nightmare replied snappishly.

An idea formed in the human's thoughts. "Great idea; we sneak into alpha city and map it out for the team! That'll get us back up." The smile on her face was not unlike that of an excited five year old.

"Not a good idea at all. If we are captured who will know where we are?" Nocturne pointed out the hole in the tarp so to speak.

"Oh please! We've done this before. It's like an extreme version of being up at three in the morning to steal a box of Oreos." Luna waved her hand dismissively. "The only difference I saw between vestals and humans are the eyes, so all we have to do is wear my trench coat and not stick out."

The two bakugan eyed the said beige trench coat that was currently hanging idly from a chair, practically calling them. "Well seeing as you'd go anyways, We're in."

Nocturne sent the Wavern a look. "We are?" the wyvern nudged the phoenix with a wing. Nocturne took the hint. "Oh um, of course!"

"Okay then." The Darkus brawler got up and grabbed the coat, put it on and her two guardians hovered onto her shoulder. "Now all we need to do is wait until things get quiet." She looked out to the dying campfire and the muscular figure that sat outside, a very sleepy Baron was falling asleep.

Luna figured it was now or never. She got up and walked outside as casually as possible, containing her overflowing excitement all the while. "Hey Baron," The boy nearly jumped a foot in the air. "You look pretty tired, want me to take your shift?"

He wearily nodded, "Yeah, thanks Luna." he got up and seemingly stumbled inside to his room.

"Okay genius, how do we get to Alpha city from here?" Nightmare skeptically asked. "It's not like you have a map or anything."

"And that's where you're wrong," Luna grinned as she pulled out a small map she'd swiped from the main room earlier. "it pays to be ready."

The Wavern internally scowled. "I'll remember that."

"Probably." She muttered and opened the map. "Okay, so we're here-" She pointed to a marked red dot on the paper. "-and Alpha city is just... Wow that's close! We're only a few miles away and easy enough to walk." Her finger moved to one of three big black dots on the map.

"Okay so the only bad side is being out in the open for a few miles. Lovely." Nightmare shook her head, she had a bad feeling about this.

"We will be fine." Nocturne assured.

The trio headed out into the desert and walked a few kilometers before coming to some sort of cave entrance.

"Maybe we should go in? I see the outside of it way over there." Nightmare pointed to another cave entrance very far off, far off as in several visible miles away.

"Holy beejesus do you have good vision." Luna noted. "And sure, why not? Nothing can possibly go wrong or get worse."

Luna thought that those were some very famous last words, as well as swear she heard a faint humming as she walked in.


	5. The park bench

Chapter 5

"NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG." Luna snarled to herself in rage. "Dammit we're lost again!"

"It is not that bad-" Nocturne was cut off by the furious look sent her way.

"Yeah Nocturne! The resistance or better yet; the Vexos'll find our rotting bodies- oh, my bad, MY rotting body weeks from now and laugh because I probably walked one big circle until I collapsed and died!" Luna laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, that ain't so bad!" She stopped walking for a moment. "Sorry."

"You're only stressed. It's fine." Nightmare chipped in while hoping to ease the tension.

"Well, it's been what? Four hours we've been here? All the food's gone and I didn't pack water." Luna sighed. Getting lost wasn't too bad until you got hungry or thirsty, not that it would matter much if you died anyways.

"Actually," A familiarly, slightly whiny voice sounded. "it's been only three hours." Luna whirled around to see Lync and Shadow Prove had been behind her. Had they been behind her the entire time? Were they the humming she'd heard outside?

"The heck are you guys doing here?!" The girl demanded, glaring at the vestal duo. Secretly she was glad to see them, misery loves company, right?

"Simple! We were bored!" Shadow cackled for a moment before stopping and frowning. "We saw you, followed you and we got lost too!" He took out a Darkus Flybeetle. "So why don't we squeeze in a brawl while we're here?"

Luna face-palmed. "Are you insa- wait don't answer that. If we brawl here this whole place could collapse and then what? Your pals find our rotting carcasses weeks, even months later."

Lync looked a bit more hesitant while Shadow showed no signs of backing down. "You're just trying to save your own hide!"

"No, I'm trying to save everyone's sorry hides! I personally believe nibody wants to be buried alive under thousands of tonnes of ground!" She shot back, frustration rising.

Nightmare and Nocturne decided to pitch in. "We could escape with moderate ease, humans and vestals however, are another matter entirely." Nocturne started. "If we tried to dig you out we could crush you and if your vestal friends came to your rescue they would take far too long." The Darkus duo returned to Luna's coat pocket.

Shadow paused for a moment before snarling in frustration. He took several steps forwards, and unfortunately for anyone present, he decided to go kamikaze on the matter. as he was about to throw the Flybeetle the cave shook.

The floor suddenly cracked, and for a moment time seemed to still before the ground broke beneath them. Luna grabbed onto the closest thing, which happened to be Shadow Prove as they fell.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Luna awoke with a groan. She felt cold stone beneath he and some sort of strange warmth above her- oh. OH. With some difficulty, she managed to roll Shadow off of her. The girl sat up and instinctually checked for her bakugan and she practically ripped them from the slightly tattered trench coat.

"You guys okay?" The two spherical bakugan unfolded and nodded. "Thank gorse for that." She noticed the Flybeetle form earlier and stuffed it into her pocket before her head turned to Shadow. She checked him for injuries and found he was fine. "Landing on me's pretty cozy huh? Time to wake up kamikaze kid." The girl shook him awake.

"Wha- oh hey I'm not dead." He blinked.

She sent him an exsasperated look. "That's because you landed on me."

He got up and shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

Luna and Shadow Prove lay there, spread across the cave floor, trying to think of what to do next.

They had fallen into this unknown area with no one around except for them. There were also tons of different paths to go down, but which one should they take?

The two sat far away from each other, Luna making up a plan and Shadow wondering about what had happened earlier.

They both got up and started scoping out the cave, seeing different exits. "This way." They both called in unison, pointing in opposite directions.

After a little arguing, some thrown rocks, and a sore Shadow Prove head later, they wound up rolling on the ground together, trying to win the little test of dominance. Shadow Prove ended up on top of Luna.

When Luna looked up she found herself very, very uncomfortable with the new position.

Shadow Prove was straddling her hips, and her arms were being pinned onto the cold rock. They were only a few inches away from each other, which made her blush, but her blush turned even darker when she saw how Shadow Prove looked.

After their little wrestling match there, his hair had been slightly messed up and he had a small glimmer of sweat on him. Luna could feel his hot, heavy breathing, and it made her quiver seeing the determined and hard look in Shadow Prove's eyes.

Shadow gave her a small grin of triumph, but that only made Luna feel even more uneasy.

"G-Get off of me!" Luna pushed up, panicking slightly, and after a bit of awkward wriggles and pushes, she managed to free herself and jump back as far away as possible from Shadow Prove.

"What's the deal-" Luna stared daggers at him, shutting him up instantly.

"Not. One. Word." And with that Luna spun around and sat on the ground, giving Shadow Prove the cold shoulder.

Shadow rolled over on his stomach and stared at Luna. "So now what?"

Luna spared a glance in his direction and let out a sigh. Shadow figured at least she wasnt angry anymore. She turned her head down, eyes closed.

"No idea. Guess we should just take a random tunnel." She got up slowly and started toward the nearest one, Shadow following closely.

They were just about there when they started to hear a sniffling and crying noise.

"What's that?" Luna frowned in puzzlement, straining her ears to listen.

Shadow Prove stared, unsure himself. Well, obviously it was someone or something crying, but who?

"Wait. Maybe it's Lync!" Luna started to walk sideways toward the area she thought it was coming from, Shadow Prove chasing after her like a lost puppy.

As they got closer and closer, they realized the voice indeed sounded smaller, younger.

They continued walking, Luna trying to stay quiet, with no help from Shadow and his two left feet.

When they finally reached the end of the narrow passage that they had gone down, they found Lync, sitting on a rock and crying.

Luna rushed to him. "Lync! Y'all right?" She stopped when she saw the tears. The girl pulled out a tissue and passed it to him, he accepted with slight mistrust before drying his eyes and cheeks.

That's when Luna noticed his shoulder, she couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the dislocated and bloody shoulder.

The reaction was not lost on him. "It's nothing."

"Are you kidding me? That's a definite dislocation plus whatever else happened to it! If you think you're getting out of here in that condition you're clearly mistaken." She rifled around her pockets for the compact first aid kit she had brought and practically ripped it out of the pocket.

"I don't need your help!" The pink haired boy snapped.

"You dolt, you won't make it far like that!" Luna replied.

"I- oh fine!"

"Okay well then, first thing's first. We've gotta stick your shoulder back in." She explained, putting down the kit and walking over to him.

Lync scowled. "You make it sound like I tore it off!"

"Yeah well putting it back in it'll hurt like it's no one's business, pal." Luna said. "Get up, and have these. It's all I got and trust me it'll help for later."

Lync hesitated with obvious distrust before getting up -wincing while doing so- and taking the aspirins with a slight grimace of disgust. Luna waited for a moment before gripping his shoulder and rotating it back into place with a stomach churning pop, earning an agonized scream from the boy.

Luna set him down as carefully as she could all the while repeating "Sorry, sorry." She figured the poor kid had been through enough with just a messed up shoulder and being lost in this damned maze of a cave.

Shadow Prove grimaced. "Ooh! Looks like that hurt!"

Lync glowered back at him angrily. "It did!" He snapped.

Enough of this. "Quit it guys! Now then, what about the blood?"

Lync looked away, holding his now fixed shoulder. "it's Nothing."

"That's not what your blood tells me, but if you want to leave it at that I understand." She was about to put the kit away when she heard him mumble something. "Did you say something?" He mumbled again. "Speak up, I can't hear mumbles."

His face went slightly red in embarassment. "I said a rock hit my collarbone."

"Ah, Okay well let's see it then." He pulled the collar of his shirt down a bit, revealing a rather nasty and jagged looking cut spanning frim his collarbone to his shoulder. "So that's how it got messed up." She opened the first aid kit and got to work. Luna pulled out a gause pad and stuck it on with some medical tape to the cut then put her stuff away. "That's all I've got. It's up to the painkillers now."

"Why help me?" The question came from nowhere.

"What do you mean?" Luna sent him a puzzled look.

"You could've just left me here or something. We're enemies, right?"

Oh! Luna waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, I don't usually leave anyone behind, friend or foe, but make no mistake, I'm not a gullible moron who'd take anyone with me either, someone's a threat; cut 'em loose." She explained. "You guys are in the clear, no biggie."

"That's good to hear I guess." Lync scratched his head absentmindedly. "You guys find a way out?"

"Nope." Came the simultaneous replies. The cave suddenly shook again.

"God dammit!" Luna snarled. The shaking stopped. "Hey, I can't believe that worked!"

Nocturne popped out of Luna's pocket. "Has anyone been able to make calls from gauntlets?"

An awkward silence descended upon the group.

"No? Then get to it!" She snapped.

Lync and Shadow checked comm channels, nothing but static came through. "Okay then, Let's try mine." She opened the comm channel to anyone who had a gauntlet, she picked up a Ventus gauntlet and opened the comm to it. "Eyo, Ventus guy? If you can hear this me and a few pals of mine are underground. We got stuck here after a cave-in. Sending any Resistance or Vexos members would be very much appreciated."

There was silence for a moment before a suspiciously familiar voice replied. "Luna? Is that you? Why are you underground? Is Dan with you?"

Holy jesusberries it was Shun! "Shun? Yeah it's me! The heck are you on NV? And Dan's back at the MB snoring away the Night. I got stuck down here with two Vexos members after a cave in."

"Okay then, I'll explain later anyways, you guys stay put, I'll come get you!" Without another word the comm channel shut off.

Luna started heading towards a tunnel that headed upwards. "Where do you think you're going?" Shadow demanded, he and Lync tailing her.

She turned back to him with a serious look. "You have any idea what might live down here?"

"No. Why?"

She turned back to the way she was going. "Then shut it and help me find a way out before something decides to make us appetizers." She sighed. "This is kinda like a decent movie I saw, it's called dead mine and it's a bit like our sitch now. Only difference being there were feral human test subjects roaming the place."

That certainly didn't help anyone's anxiety at all.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Many tunnels and going up later

Luna paused, putting her arm up to stop everyone. "Y'hear that?" Everyone shut up, hearing a scuttling noise nearby. "Oh lovely. I'm loosing sanity like a flushing toilet." She activated her gauntlet's laser sword and glared at every rock in the area.

She internally cursed every word she knew like a big colorful rainbow of filthy words as she surveyed the area. Luna was at a major disadvantage; she didn't know if she was just being paranoid as usual or if there was some sort of creature here, if so, what did it look like? What was it's intentions, questions and more unanswerable questions.

Suddenly a figure dropped down in front of them and stood up. It pulled back its hood to reveal Shun.

Luna sighed in relief. "God damn it Shun! Don't sneak up on us like that! Freaking nearly turned you to ninja sushi...Ninjushi..." She deactivated the laser sword.

"Sorry, anyways how the heck did you end up way down here?" He asked, eyeing the two vestals behind her.

"Tried to take a shortcut, saw another cave entrance up ahead, assumed it was cover against potential sandstorms on the way and got followed in by these two." She jerked a thumb in their direction. "There was also a cave-in a ways back."

Shun face-palmed. "Alright well we better get out of here. Come on." he turned and went back the way he came, the lost trio on his heels.

After what seemed like days the musty, stuffy old air became fresh and cool. Soon they were met by the darkening skies of New Vestroia.

"Oh thank gosh." Luna sat cross-legged on the ground. The two vestals sat down as well, exhausted from their cavern trek.

"Never again." Shadow hung his head slightly. "Aw man I lost Flybeetle! Mylene will kill me!"

Luna sent him a bemusing look before fumbling in her pocket for a moment and pulled Darkus Flybeetle out with a triumphant smirk and passing it to him. "She can't kill you if you've got it."

He seemed puzzled by her generosity. "Uh, thanks."

"Eh, no problem." She tapped a pocket twice. Her two bakugan exited the pocket and flew to her shoulder.

"What would you do without me?" Nocturne remarked snidely.

"Not live?" The girl replied with a sarcastic tone of hope, earning her a tackle in the head by the little bakugan.

"Ow! Mudak!" She was tackled again by Nocturne and this time Nightmare.

Nightmare returned to her shoulder. "Dull the russian rainbow please."

"Oh ha ha." Luna scowled at the two. "chertovski zadnitsushlyapu..." Was muttered under her breath.

Nocturne internally scowled in disapproval. "Luna..."

Luna shrank back slightly. "Okay, okay!"

"Come on Luna! Are you just gonna sit there or are we going?" Shun was already a ways away, tapping his foot impatiently.

She groaned, this guy was serious business whenever she saw him. "Go ahead, I'll catch up!" He turned and continued back to the resistance base.

Just as the two Vexos members were about to look for the scout ships they'd flown on the way out they decided to be smarter and looked to the closer city. "May as well." Lync shrugged, heading to Alpha city.

The three passed the gates and were crossing through the park when they heard sniffling from one of the park benches.

The trio looked at each other with puzzled expressions plastered on their faces.

Luna stepped towards the nearest bench. "Hello?" She called, caution her primary goal all the while.

"Go away!" A sorrowful voice replied.

Curiosity killed the human Luna figured as she sent a look to her two bakugan and approached the bench. On it sat a small Aquos bakugan she'd never seen before. The poor thing was more sad than a wet salt cracker. "I said go away!" The sorrowful, feminine voice snapped.

"Aie carumba." Luna muttered. "What's got you so upset, little fella?" She asked as she saw Lync and Shadow Prove walking over.

"I... My brawler threw me away," There was an audible gasp from Nocturne and Nightmare. "he said I was worthless, that I couldn't win a single brawl I entered and it's true! We always lost and last night he got fed up and tossed me into the trash!" The bakugan sobbed.

Luna, for the first time in a while, felt one of those angers that made her body temperature go up significantly. It was one of those rages that told her to find this guy and beat him to death with a rubber band or a leaf and yes that was possible because anything could kill you.

She had a better idea. The girl looked down at the sorrowful bakugan. "Hope fades away when tomorrow holds no promises today. But today you are set free. For amidst the tears, amongst the fear, you now have a chance at redemption." Luna held a hand out to the puzzled Aquos bakugan, a sympathetic and understanding smile on her features.

With great hesitation the bakugan climbed onto her hand. "What's your name?"

"Well it's Fangoid, but my brawler just calls me useless." Fangoid replied. Luna scowled at the mention of such a terrible name, she was definitely going to have words with this guy.

"Well then, Fangoid, I guess it's time for a better name! How about Zyros? Sounds like it fits you." The Darkus brawler's smile returned.

Nocturne hopped onto Luna's wrist. "Most certainly better than what that daft scoundrel named you."

"Alright then! From now on I'm Zyros!" The Fangoid let her approval be known.

Time for the hard questions. "Any idea where your old brawler might be?"

"He said something about entering a tournament tomorrow with a new bakugan before throwing me out." Zyros replied.

"Wait! The tournament? Oh man I completely forgot I play in that tomorrow!" Shadow's eyes went wide in realisation. "Oh man! Damn it all!"

Luna face-palmed. "Is it one of those stupid partner brawls?"

"Yes."

She groaned in exasperation. "I'll go with you I guess."

The Darkus boy shrugged. "Sure, why not? Didn't really wanna have to ask Mylene anyways."

"Alirght then, guess you two should get home seeing as it's been a hectic day." The two nodded.

"Hey wait, where are you gonna sleep?" Lync asked.

Luna rolled her eyes. "Nah, sleep's overrated. I wanna explore anyways."

The pink haired boy shrugged. "Alrighty then." The two vestals walked off and disappeared around the corner of a building. Luna didn't miss the final look Shadow sent her way just before the turn.

The girl sat down on the bench with a sigh of relief and put the three bakugan on her lap.

"Tomorrow, we rise." She got up after a few minutes with an idea.


	6. Dinosaurs and Spiders

Chapter 6

Shadow tapped his foot impatiently, he was next to go brawl the two smug amateurs who were currently running the show and just finished off the two brawlers they were pitted against with ease.

Just as he was about to walk out someone tapped his shoulder. Figuring it was just some fans he was about to snap at them, then he saw who it really was.

"Sorry I'm late." Luna sent him an apologetic look.

"Took you long enough! Anyways, our round's starting. We're up against some twerps who think their the best." Shadow Prove sent a look of disgust their way, then cackled. "They'll be crying to mommy by the end of this."

"well then we'd better not keep them waiting, we're the last ones they brawl before the championships after all." The Darkus duo walked in as the loosing two walked out. The two stood on a pillar across from the other brawlers they were to face. Their names were Brine and Shelila.

"Gauntlet power strike!" called the four as they raised their gauntlets for battle.

"Gate card set!" Luna's card dissipated with a wave of purple light. She glared at Brine; he was the cause of Zyros's suffering, and he was gonna pay for it.

Luna threw her Wavern into the battle and Shadow threw his Flybeetle. The other two threw an Aquos Freezer and a Ventus Atmos. The Darkus brawlers had 930G while The other two had 700G.

Before anyone could do anything Brine made his move. "Ability activate! Freeze Jail!" Nightmare and Flybeetle froze on the spot.

Luna snickered. "This kid's an amateur! Gate card open; Cheering battle!" The Darkus girl threw Nocturne onto the field, her team's power level rising to 1430G. "Ability activate, Whirlwind Lightning Sword!" Nocturne transferred 200G to herself. Her two largest tail feathers lined up as it aimed at Freezer and fired magenta electricity, striking the octopus-like bakugan dead on, sending it to Luna and unfreezing their first-rolled bakugan.

"Ooh! That must sting a little!" Shadow gave a guffaw. "Ability activate Horn Slash!" Flybeetle slammed head-first into Atmos, sending the Ventus bakugan spiraling to the ground, returning it to ball form and then to Shadow Prove.

Shelila threw down a gate card that faded in a green flash, then the duo tossed down a Ventus Anchorsaur and an Aquos Hammersaur. Both totaled 800G. Shadow and Luna threw out Nocturne and a Darkus Verias. Both had 850G.

"Ability activate! scattershot!" Violet projectiles shot out from the Storm Skyress' wings as her G-Power rose another 500G and knocked Hammersaur out of the game and into Luna's waiting hand.

"Ability activate Variety Psych!" Verias rose 200G and practically flashed up to Anchorsaur and whacked him a bunch of times upside the head with his bamboo stick before retreating back.

As Anchorsaur ran to attack Verias, Nocturne snuck behind him and dove at him.

Shelila acted quickly. "Double ability activate! Power Eraser plus Spark Protection!" Luna and Shadow lost 600G and remained at 1730G while the others were at 600G.

"That'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic!" Luna smirked at the Ventus girl. "Ability activate! Storm Stinger!" Anchorsaur lost his shield and Nocturne wasted no time in whipping him in the face with her razor sharp tail feathers, knocking it into ball form and the two returned to Luna's hand while Verias came back to Shadow.

Shadow set the gate card and threw Sylfee out into the brawl, Luna tossed in Nightmare and they both stood at 980G. Shelila and Brine threw Wontu and Maxila, which was basically a spider with a skull as opposed to a normal spider backside, both were at 700G.

Luna looked at Shadow as seriously as possible. "Small bunnies and creepy spiders for breakfast."

He sent her a look of disgust. "Ew."

"Yep."

"Ability activate, Rapid Balloon!" Wontu's head grew in size until it fell over and went back to Shelila in ball form. Shadow cackled and Luna laughed at the scene, Shadow wiped tears from his eyes as he laughed. Shelila's life gauge dropped to zero, she was now out of the tournament.

"Ability activate! Venofang!" Maxila rose 300G, leapt and bit Sylfee who was put back in ball form and returned to Shadow.

"Ability card activate! Whirl Switch!" Nightmare returned to her and she sent out Zyros. A promise is a promise after all. The Fangoid reverted to its true form, revealing an armored dinosaur of a bakugan. It alone had a whopping 790G while Maxila was at a crippling 350G.

"ability activate! Surf boost!" Maxilia rose 650G.

The two bakugan on the field circled each other, spite crackling in the air like bolts electricity.

Time to bring this to a close. "Double ability activate, Special Darkness plus Nocturnal Thief." Maxila went down to 600G. Brine tried to use an ability card, but nothing happened.

"What the-? Hey! How did you-"

Luna smirked. "There's always a special place for people like you." The smirk was replaced with a venomously hateful glare. "Especially when you throw another under the bus, so to speak for your own incompetency." She snarled the last word in a venemous enphasis.

"Wha-"

"I suppose that means you were never paying attention." Her whole attitude, tone and personality had just changed so fast it scared Shadow a bit. Who was this venomous and hostile Luna and where was the happy carefree Luna?

The brawlers turned back to Zyros, who stomped up to the Skull-backed spider and whipped it in the face with her tail. Maxila returned to ball form and back to Brine as Fangoid returned to Luna.

As soon as the two left for the door Brine and Shelila caught up with them, demanding their bakugan back.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Why would we ever do that? So you could have trash tossing practise? I think not. Plus, you know the rules to bakugan."

Nocturne hopped on Luna's shoulder and glared Brine right in the eye. "People like you should not be allowed to even have bakugan."

Zyros decided to get her two cents in while she could. "I can't believe I ended up with such a rotten brat for a partner. You know what? Keep the spider! It speaks volumes of who you are!" The two dove into a pocket without another sound as Luna left, Shadow on her heels.

As soon as they were far enough away from the building Fangoid popped out of Luna's pocket and onto her hand. "We did it! You were right, I'm not weak like he thought I was."

Shadow looked at them with a confused stare. "This was all just an act?"

"Kinda sorta." Came the reply.

Shadow blinked. "Wow. Okay, who are you and what did you do with Luna?"

"Hey! That's my line!" The girl whined.

"No, I said it first!" He snapped.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

Nightmare sighed, this was going to be a long day.

~-_.:\|/:._-~

Later

Luna stepped inside the resistance's mobile base with a sigh. It was a long walk to get here, but at least it wasn't the caves.

"The prodigal brawler returns." Mira said dryly.

"I take that as a thanks for me scoping out the city and getting lost most of the day in caves." She shot back.

Ace sent her a bemusing look. "You do realise we used to live there, right?"

"Uh..." The girl seemed to stare off into space for a moment, thinking of something progressive that had happened. "Well I did find this Fangoid some moron literally threw in the trash. We showed him why that was a bad idea." She held up Zyros pridefully.

Without warning Elfin hopped up onto Luna's hand and practically in Zyros' face. "Hiya! What's your name?"

The Aquos bakugan shrank back slightly. "Zyros."

"Zyros eh? Good to know I'm not the only Aquos bakugan here!" She chirped.

"Yeah..."

Luna decided to fill in the team about her recent adventures. "So I had a big old misadventure of my own..." She got into detail of the whole sneak out, getting lost, getting un-lost, finding Zyros and the tournament as well as explaining the new outfit she'd scrounged together on short notice. She was careful to leave out the part with Shadow and Lync once they got in Alpha city.

The girl felt a headache coming on. "And so after a painfully long trek, I'm gonna say goodnight." without waiting for a reply she went to her room, set her bakugan aside, collapsed on her bed and fell asleep almost immediately.


End file.
